Marching to the Beat of Her Own Drum
by Checker Board Socks
Summary: Ryan and Brett are friends, will they ever be anything more?
1. Introduction

Ryan looked around her, taking in all the new faces of the freshmen marchers. She sat in her seat, quietly putting her E flat clarinet together. She was still warming up to her surroundings. She glanced down her row of neatly arranged straight backed chairs into the faces of the rookies, some looking excited, others anxious. Truth was she was probably just as nervous as some of them were. She had no idea how she was going to be able to teach all there was to know about marching to these people that she didn't know, wasn't comfortable with. Despite her anxieties, Ryan had to admit that there was some form of anticipation bubbling inside of her.

Her eyes slid from her section to the clock on the wall. It ticked away the seconds and showed about ten minutes before the first day of Rookie Camp was supposed to begin.

She got up and went into the uniform room where her friend, Laura, was thumbing through drill charts. Ryan plopped down beside her and rested her head against a filing cabinet. Laura glanced over at her then retuned to her feverish search. "Lose your drill chart?" Ryan asked, a smirk playing across her face. Laura was notorious for not being able to keep up with her things and this is what Ryan guessed to have happened. "How did Ms.Jones expect me to be able to keep up with that stupid thing since leadership camp?" Ryan sighed "Laura, leadership camp was only a few days ago." But Laura didn't hear her, she had jumped to her feet and held a drill chart triumphantly over her head.

Before Ryan could say anything else, the band director, Ms.Jones, had called them to attention. Ryan slowly pulled herself off the floor and made her way towards her seat. Ms.Jones did her usual speech on how she was excited to see everyone and was looking forward to a great season.

Ryan let he mind wonder off until she was snapped back to reality by the people filling past her. She picked up her clarinet and was about halfway to the door when a blur of a person whizzed by her sending her papers to the floor. The person that had rushed past skid to a halt, doing a sort of half spin. Despite her temporary loss of balance, Ryan managed to regain her poise and found the situation humorous.

In front of her stood the percussion captain, and lead snare, who had obviously over slept. His hair looked tousled and he had a dazed look in his eyes, like he wasn't all there. "Ugh, I'm so sorry!" He bent down and picked up her papers. Ryan laughed and took them from him. "It's ok, Brett," she told him as she walked to the back of the room with him. Brett groaned as he hoisted his snare up and strapped it on. "It's way too early to have to be up, and at school no less," he groaned as he waddled towards the door. "I thought that the percussion had already started practicing," Ryan said to him as they both walked down to the marching band's practice field, which is a nice way to put the parking lot. "Yeah," he said, "but that was in the afternoons."

Ryan smiled as they finished the walk in silence. She had never known Brett to actually be on time for something unless it was to be first in line at lunch. "See you at break," Brett called as they both parted to be with their sections. Ryan smiled, still a bit anxious about the day to come, and introduced herself to her new section. "Hi! I'm Ryan and I'm you section leader this season."


	2. Chapter 1

It was the Friday of the first football game. By an act of God, they had gotten the whole show on. This in itself was a miracle, especially considering how band camp had gone. The thought of it still made Ryan cringe.

Brett plopped down in the seat next to Ryan at lunch. "You know, for it to be the first game, I'm not all that excited," Brett said through a mouthful of sandwich. "Mr. Hot Shot Snare Playing Band Nerd isn't excited about a football game?! I'm shocked!" Ryan said with a fake gasp. Brett just shrugged and said, "What can I say?"

Laura and Angela joined, each taking a seat across from them. The girls talked contently about the up coming game, Brett keeping to himself. This was unusual behavior for Brett to say the least. He felt that everyone was entitled to hear his opinion. You always knew how you stood with him.

"Um I'm not very hungry, I think I'm going to get a head start on my homework," Brett said as he gathered his things. "You, not hungry and doing homework, now I know something is wrong," Ryan said grinning at him. Brett said nothing and started towards the library.

Truth was he didn't think he could sit next to Ryan without saying something he would have regretted later. It wasn't that he was mad at her, it was the exact opposite. They had always been friends but now he didn't know what to think. He wanted to be more than just friends but then on the other side, he didn't want to ruin the already special relationship they had now.

Thoughts exploded in his head, bouncing around like they were trying to escape from his grasp. Brett was so caught up in his own thoughts that he was too blind to see what was obvious to everyone around him. Too absorbed to notice that bouncing around in Ryan's head were the same thoughts.


	3. Chapter 2

"Come on! My grandmother is faster than you and she's in a wheelchair!" Brett threw is drumstick down in disgust. He always got into what was going on in the football game.

"Brett, are you coming to get something to eat or are you going to just stand there and have a temper tantrum?" Brett sighed and joined Ryan in the trek to the concession stand. They were on their third quarter break and Ryan would tend to get irritable with the people that wasted her "sweet freedom". Brett could sense that she was irritated with him and flashed her one of his crooked smiles. Ryan laughed and continued to push her way through the crowd.

"It's amazing how aggressive you can be when it comes between an innocent by stander and your nachos." Ryan turned around and squealed, "Joe! What are you doing here?!" Ryan ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. "Well I heard that there was supposed to be a good game tonight but judging by the score..." Joe trailed off looking at the scoreboard. It was a massacre with the score at 49-7. How they scored the seven was a mystery.

Brett's stomach clenched with jealousy as he watched Ryan hug and talk excitedly with this "Joe" person that he didn't know. He walked over to where the two were standing. Ryan looked over and introduced the stranger to him, "Brett, this is my brother, Joseph. Joe goes to college out of state." Brett's tension melted away as he said hello to Ryan's brother.

"Oh crap! We've got twenty seconds to get back to the stands!" Ryan yelled a rushed goodbye over her shoulder as she and Brett sprinted back to the stands. "I'll see you at the end of the game!" Joe called back to her.

"Bleacher running should be an Olympic sport!" Ryan gasped as she plopped herself down in the seat. Laura laughed and said, "It's your own fault that you have to run back every time. If you weren't so busy stuffing yourself at the concession stand and could put your gluttony aside long enough to look at the clock, maybe you could make it back here on time!" "I'll have you know that I was having a family reunion, so to speak. I didn't eat one thing," Ryan stated matter of factly. Laura was about to respond with a sarcastic remark no doubt, when the drum major instructed them to play.

Despite the football team's feeble attempt, their loss was still painful. The band members slouched up to the band room, with considerable amounts or energy lost from when the game first began. This did not damper Ryan, however. She swiftly hung her uniform and went to hang it up hastily, knocking over a few freshmen in the process.

She and Brett walked out to the parking lot together. The night was warm but had a cool breeze that swept Ryan's pitch black hair. Ryan wasn't sure if she was imagining it or not, but things seemed tense with Brett. She tried to talk to him but with his one word responses the conversation would end.

Ryan was about to reach her car when Brett finally seemed to find his voice. Ryan turned to look at him when he said, "Um... Do you think we'll ever be...well...um..." His voice trailed off. Ryan didn't dare jump to conclusions, she wasn't going to set herself up for disappointment. Brett was about to explain when, "Hey, Ryan! Are you coming or what?!" Joe yelled at her from the car. Ryan looked back to Brett, "I'm sorry, I have to go now. I'll talk to you later." Brett sighed as she walked off, "Yeah, later."


	4. Chapter 3

"Oh yes, I live on the edge!" Ryan yelled as she ran around the parking lot. She held in her hand Brett's shoe and was swinging it around her head by its laces.

Bret hobbled after her shaking his fist, "Why must you insist on thieving my items and parading them around for the whole world to see?" Ryan stopped and looked at the shoe she held in her hand. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you lose your... innocence," she said sarcastically and gave him his shoe back.

He plopped himself down and began to put his shoe back on. "Wow, it's like Cinderella, only I'm not a girl... and it's not a glass slipper. Oh well it seemed like a good analogy when it was in my head," Brett looked deep in thought as he finished lacing his shoe.

"Will you be my knight in shining armor?" Ryan asked, batting her eyelashes. Despite her joking manner, she meant it only not in such a dramatic tone. She wasn't the kind that got into the dramatics of romance.

Ryan helped Brett to his feet and they started back to the band room. The cool breeze of the approaching fall flittered through their hair as they walked. Brett watched her every step, planning what he was about to say when she stopped short. They were right outside the band room doors. Ryan's green eyes flashed like emeralds in the sun when she turned towards him. "I've got to talk about what you said that Friday night after our first football game. What you were going to say, or ask. I can't keep it out of my mind. It just sort of keeps creeping into my every thought. Whoa, that sounded way too dramatic." Ryan rolled her eyes at her comment.

Brett looked into the deep pools of green of her eyes. "I wanted to know if there was ever a chance of us..." his voice trailed off. They were each staring intently at each other, taking in every moment. Brett leaned closer, this was finally it.

Thoughts exploded inside Ryan's head. She couldn't believe that this was finally happening, she had waited so long. Despite her anticipation, she couldn't but help but have a shadow or a doubt. What would happen if things didn't work out? Brett was her good friend and she didn't want to loose him over a petty high school fling.

They leaned closer to each other. Time stood still, everything around them stopped. Ryan's breath caught in her throat as their lips were almost touching. She could feel his warmth against her skin.

This was the moment they had each thought of, anticipated. They were so close, almost there when, "Ryan can I see you for a moment?" Ms. Jones stood outside the doors and put her hand on Ryan's shoulder. She looked upset and tinged with anxiety when she said, "It is very important."

Ryan's stomach lurched. "Um, okay," she said hesitantly. She could tell by the look on Ms. Jones face that something was wrong, something had happened. She looked over her shoulder as she followed Ms. Jones into her office. He could see the anxiety hidden within her eyes. He mouthed, "I'll wait for you." as she disappeared behind the office door.


	5. Chapter 4

Ryan's thoughts were swimming, each becoming a little hazier than the one before it. Her stomach felt like it was full of Jell-O and with every movement she made she felt like its slushy contents were going to show themselves all over the floor.

"Ryan, you might want to sit down," Ms. Jones motioned to the chair in front of her desk. Ryan's brain told her to sit but her feet stayed rooted to the spot. "This is a very difficult thing I have to tell you," Ms. Jones had a concerned look that terrified Ryan.

The two sat in silence until Ms. Jones broke the silence with a long sigh and began, "As you know, your brother was on his way home from college today." Ryan froze, everything around her stopped. "No, not Joe, please Lord don't let anything have happened to my brother," she silently prayed. "I'm.... I'm not exactly sure of what happened," Ms. Jones's voice was quavering as she slowly explained, "it was raining and the road was slick. Ryan do you understand what I have told you?"

And then everything that had stopped around Ryan crashed. The Jell-O that was in her stomach sank to her knees. She could feel her legs wobbling, her knees giving away. Ryan wavered then crashed into the chair next to her.

She tried to breathe but her breath caught in her throat. Everything was blurring around her as she tried with every fiber of her being to take a breath. Finally, with one mass of effort, she took in a shuttering breath.

Ryan couldn't comprehend what was happening. Finally she managed to find her voice, "Please tell me that he's okay! Please tell me he's not d-d-de..." Ryan couldn't bring herself to say it, that would make it final.

Ms. Jones brought head up from where it was resting in her hands to look at Ryan, "No, he isn't but the doctors... well they're not sure how much longer it will be." "NO!" Ryan threw herself to her knees and sobbed.

Ms. Jones jumped from her swivel chair to tend to Ryan. She hoisted her back into the chair and knelt in front of her. "Your mom wants you to come to the hospital as soon as possible," she said in a soft comforting voice.

She laid a hand on Ryan's shoulder. Ryan nodded, "I guess I need to go then." Ryan stood up, how she managed to walk was a mystery to her. She slowly made her way out of the office to the band room where Brett waited anxiously for her.

"What's wrong?!" he asked, panicked. Ryan shakily repeated the story to him. Brett protectively pulled her close to him, providing a shoulder for her to cry on. "I think you need someone to ride with you to the hospital," he whispered to her. He then picked her up and carried her to her car, Ryan still sobbing.


End file.
